If Only More of us Were Black

In one of the first articles on this site I lamented that churches had voluntarily given up their First Amendment Rights by accepting 501(c)(3) or tax-exempt status. Somehow I failed to note that some churches get both 501(c)(3) status and the ability to speak out on political issues and even endorse candidates. Which churches get these special privilieges — black churches.

In Florida this weekend, John Kerry went to church twice. First he went to a Catholic Mass which according to Kerry aides (as reported by Associated Press) was for personal worship rather than for any campaigning.  Does that mean that the second church visit was for campaigning?

The second time Kerry went to Church was at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami. During the campaign Kerry has made it a habit of appearing at black churches. This time he was accompnaied by the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. During the service parishioners waved fans passed out by the Kerry campaign.

Perhaps if more of us were black — my church could also ignore the rules governing 501(c)(3)'s.

In this country we have developed a patronizing attitude towards minorities. In the name of compassion we choose not to criticize minorities ever. So what if black churches do not follow the IRS regulations regarding political activity — after all they have been through, they deserve a break. The problem is that we now have a culture within a culture that Bill Cosby described by saying, "They think they're hip. They can't read; they can't write. They're laughing and giggling, and they're going nowhere." Cosby said this before a shocked audience at Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH/Rainbow Coalition meeting.

The problem isn't black culture the problem is black seperatism within American culture. Clearly our nation has had a painful journey to granting equal rights to blacks. But it seems that in this society where rights are equal — blacks are retreating to the days of seperate but equal. One need only look at our nation's colleges with their black homecomings, black dorms, black study halls, etc. to see that black seperatism is on the rise.

So what message does Kerry take to black churches? The message is always the same. Bush and the Republicans want to send you back to the plantations. They want to dis-enfranchise you. You cannot succeed without special assistance. Kerry said, "Never again will a million African Americans be denied the right to exercise their vote in the United States of America ..." This is the message that John Kerry is taking to black churches across the nation.

I don't know which bothers me more. That this is what passes for hope or that black audiences seem to be eating this stuff up.